She Thought She Was Safe by Terri Parlato had me hooked from the eerie first glimpse of Cheshire Lake. Emma Shrader is reeling from a divorce and her mother’s death. She accepts an invite to meet the famous father she’s never known, a brooding and best selling author who’s living in a sprawling Victorian that feels straight out of a gothic novel. At first, it’s all lake views and literary mentorship…until a neighbor turns up dead and the whole community’s friendly small town vibe starts to crack. The novels atmosphere is unsettling with creaky halls, whispered family tension, and a town full of sideways glances. Emma’s relationship with her half sister Sunny crackles with suspicion, and the slow reveal of both Emma’s secrets and Cheshire Lake’s dark history kept me guessing. I loved how the story mixed family drama, past tragedies, and modern psychological suspense. The perfect moody and layered mystery that’s tinged with the feeling that something is watching from the shadows!

Terri Parloto's fourth book, "She Thought She Was Safe" is a great domestic suspense novel. I recommend her books anytime I can- especially if you like Shari Lapena.

I love the lakeside setting and the deep family mysteries of this book. For all of the thoughtfully considered detail, though, there was so much that felt unresolved. Many of the characters, like Sunny, seemed like they were added for convenient plot points or to filler. There was so much opportunity to round out some of the twists and to even work in a few more using these characters. And the biggest twist of all, which I will keep vague to avoid spoilers, seems unclear in motivation. I had a strong hunch and it felt like the author had been building up to it, but then it completely went unspoken.

Nevertheless, it was a great read for a lazy Saturday and finally broke my pattern of lackluster thrillers.

I truly did not expect the ending for this story. I loved every minute of this book. It was such a great read.